You are sitting at the dinner table when your six-year-old asks, for the third time this week, why the sky changes colors at sunset. Meanwhile, your friend posts on social media about her child asking profound questions about the meaning of life. You wonder: Should my child be asking deeper questions by now? Should they be seeking wisdom about life bigger mysteries?
If this sounds familiar, I want you to know something important. You are not alone in wondering about this, and more importantly, your child is developing EXACTLY as they should be. Those questions about the sky, about how machines work, about why birds fly south? Those ARE their pathway to wisdom right now.
In this article, we will explore what is really happening in your child developing mind, why concrete questions are the foundation for deeper thinking, and how you can nurture their natural curiosity in ways that build lasting wisdom.
Understanding the Beautiful Transition Happening in Your Child Brain
Children ages six and seven are in one of the most remarkable cognitive transitions of their entire development. They are moving from what developmental psychologists call the preoperational stage into something called the concrete operational stage. Now, I know those sound like big fancy terms, but here is what they really mean for your wonderful child.
For the first time in their lives, your child brain is learning to think logically. They are beginning to understand that other people have different thoughts and perspectives than they do. Can you imagine? For years, they thought everyone saw the world exactly as they did, and now, like magic, they are discovering that minds are unique and different.
This is HUGE. This is the foundation upon which all deeper thinking will be built.
What Concrete Operational Thinking Means
Dr. Michelle Anthony, a leading expert in child development at Scholastic, explains that at age seven, children intuitive grasp of logical concepts in limited, tangible arenas marks a significant developmental milestone. They are beginning to manipulate symbolic elements and take another person point of view spontaneously.
But here is the beautiful part that might surprise you: abstract thinking, the kind that lets us ponder deep questions about life and wisdom and meaning, is still developing. Your six or seven year old needs concrete, tangible experiences to understand big ideas. They are building the foundation for wisdom right now, through curiosity, through questions, through wonder about the world around them.
Why Simple Questions Are Actually Profound
When your child asks why the sky is blue, or how birds know where to fly, or whether their stuffed animal has feelings, they ARE seeking wisdom. They are just doing it in the way their developing brain is designed to do it, through concrete, tangible questions about the world they can see and touch.
Research in developmental psychology shows us something wonderful: children whose natural curiosity is nurtured and validated during this phase develop stronger critical thinking skills and deeper understanding of complex concepts over time. Every question they ask is strengthening the neural pathways that will one day support philosophical thinking.
At this age, children are just beginning to develop metacognition, the ability to think about their own thinking. This is the seedling of wisdom, growing quietly in their beautiful mind.
— Dr. Michelle Anthony, PhD, Child Development Expert
Think of it this way: your child is learning the alphabet of wisdom right now. Just as they needed to learn individual letters before they could read complex books, they need to master concrete logical thinking before they can engage with abstract philosophical concepts.
The Developmental Reality: What Research Shows
According to Piaget stages of cognitive development, the concrete operational stage, which begins around age seven, is characterized by logical reasoning about concrete objects and events. Children at this stage are still developing the capacity for abstract thought that emerges more fully in adolescence.
This is not a deficit. This is not something to fix or rush. This is exactly how human brains are designed to develop, and it is perfect.
What Is Happening Developmentally
- Decreased Egocentrism: Your child is just beginning to understand that others have different perspectives. This is brand new and takes practice.
- Emerging Metacognition: They are starting to think about their own thinking, understanding what they need to do to learn better.
- Concrete Logic: They can reason logically about things they can see, touch, and experience directly.
- Building Foundations: Every concrete question strengthens the cognitive structures that will support abstract thinking later.
Developmental psychology research emphasizes that while six and seven year olds are entering the concrete operational period, they still require concrete examples to understand abstract concepts like wisdom or life complexities. The expert consensus is clear: children natural philosophical curiosity at this age should be celebrated and gently guided through stories, conversations, and real-world experiences that make abstract ideas tangible and accessible.
Gentle Strategies to Nurture Growing Wisdom
Now that you understand what is happening in your child developing mind, how can you support their journey toward deeper understanding? Here are research-backed strategies that work beautifully with this age group.
1. Celebrate Every Question
Every single one. When your child asks something, even if it seems simple to you, that is their curiosity muscle growing stronger. Answer with warmth and wonder, and when you do not know the answer, say so! Then explore together. This teaches them that seeking knowledge is a lifelong adventure, not something that ends when you become an adult.
Why it works: Research shows that children who receive enthusiastic responses to their questions ask more questions over time, building stronger inquiry skills and deeper curiosity about the world.
2. Make Abstract Ideas Concrete
If you want to talk about kindness, do not just define it. Show them kindness in action. Point it out when you see it. Let them practice it. Their brain learns wisdom through experience, not just words.
When they see someone helping another person, you can say, "Look at that kindness! How do you think that made the other person feel?" You are helping them connect the concrete action to the abstract concept in a way their brain can grasp.
Why it works: Concrete experiences create neural pathways that later support abstract understanding. The brain builds from tangible to intangible.
3. Use Stories as Wisdom Bridges
Stories are the MOST powerful tool for helping children understand life complexities in ways their brains can grasp. Through characters and adventures, they explore big ideas like courage, friendship, honesty, and love in concrete, memorable ways. The characters make the abstract tangible.
Why it works: Narrative thinking is one of the earliest and most natural forms of human cognition. Stories allow children to experience abstract concepts through concrete characters and situations.
4. Model Curiosity and Wonder
Let your child see you wondering about things. Say, "I wonder why..." or "That is so interesting, I want to learn more about that." Show them that curiosity is not just for children, it is how we all continue to grow and learn throughout our lives.
Why it works: Children learn more from what we model than from what we say. When they see curiosity valued and practiced, they internalize it as a lifelong virtue.
Stories That Celebrate Curiosity and Wonder
In The Book of Inara, we have beautiful stories that bring these concepts to life for your child. These stories show that curiosity and questions are magical pathways to understanding:
The Giggling Gallery of Forgotten Questions
Perfect for: Ages 6-7
What makes it special: Lucas and Ella discover a magical archive where old photographs giggle when you ask them the right questions. As they explore, they learn that every question unlocks new mysteries and discoveries. This story celebrates curiosity as the very pathway to wisdom.
Key lesson: Asking questions is not just acceptable, it is magical and valuable. Curiosity unlocks understanding and wonder.
After the story: Create your own question treasure hunt at home. Hide little notes around the house with interesting questions on them. When your child finds one and asks it aloud, celebrate! Maybe you explore the answer together, or maybe you just wonder about it together. This shows them that asking questions is how we all learn about life deeper meanings.
You Are Doing Beautifully
Here is what I want you to remember, my wonderful friend. Your child is not lacking wisdom. They are building it, brick by brick, question by question, experience by experience. The foundation they are laying now, through curiosity and wonder, will support the deep thinking and philosophical understanding that comes later.
Every time they ask why, every time they wonder, every time they explore, they are developing the very skills that will one day let them ponder life biggest questions. You are not watching a child who lacks wisdom. You are watching wisdom being born.
So keep nurturing that curiosity. Keep answering questions with warmth. Keep reading stories that make abstract ideas concrete and magical. And most of all, trust that your child is developing beautifully, right on schedule, in exactly the way their wonderful brain is designed to grow.
The Magic Book and I are always here for you, cheering you on every step of this amazing journey. Until our next adventure together, with love and starlight, Inara.
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Show transcript
Hello, wonderful parent! It is me, Inara, and I am SO happy you are here today. You know, the Magic Book and I have been noticing something beautiful happening with children around ages six and seven, and I want to share this with you because it might just change how you see your child is growing mind.
Many parents tell me they worry because their child does not seem to ask deep questions about life, or seek wisdom the way they imagine a thoughtful child might. And I want you to know something important. You are not alone in wondering about this, and more importantly, your child is developing EXACTLY as they should be.
Here is what the Magic Book taught me, and what research beautifully confirms. Children ages six and seven are in the most AMAZING cognitive transition. They are moving from what experts call the preoperational stage into something called the concrete operational stage. Now, I know those sound like big fancy words, but here is what they really mean for your wonderful child.
At this age, your child is brain is learning to think logically for the very first time. They are beginning to understand that other people have different thoughts and perspectives than they do. Can you imagine? For years, they thought everyone saw the world exactly as they did, and now, like magic, they are discovering that minds are unique and different. This is HUGE!
But here is the beautiful part that might surprise you. Abstract thinking, the kind that lets us ponder deep questions about life and wisdom, is still developing. Your six or seven year old needs concrete, tangible experiences to understand big ideas. They are building the foundation for wisdom right now, through curiosity, through questions, through wonder about the world around them.
Dr. Michelle Anthony, a wonderful expert in child development, explains that children this age are just beginning to develop what we call metacognition. That is the ability to think about their own thinking. They are starting to understand what they need to do to learn better. This is the seedling of wisdom, my friend, growing quietly in their beautiful mind.
So when your child asks why the sky is blue, or how birds know where to fly, or whether their stuffed animal has feelings, they ARE seeking wisdom. They are just doing it in the way their developing brain is designed to do it, through concrete, tangible questions about the world they can see and touch.
Now, how can you nurture this growing wisdom? First, celebrate every question. Every single one. When your child asks something, even if it seems simple, that is their curiosity muscle growing stronger. Answer with warmth and wonder, and when you do not know the answer, say so! Then explore together. This teaches them that seeking knowledge is a lifelong adventure.
Second, make abstract ideas concrete. If you want to talk about kindness, do not just define it. Show them kindness in action. Point it out when you see it. Let them practice it. Their brain learns wisdom through experience, not just words.
Third, and this is so important, read stories together. Stories are the MOST powerful tool for helping children understand life is complexities in ways their brains can grasp. Through characters and adventures, they explore big ideas like courage, friendship, honesty, and love in concrete, memorable ways.
The Magic Book has a story I want to tell you about. It is called The Giggling Gallery of Forgotten Questions, and it is about two friends, Lucas and Ella, who discover a magical archive where old photographs giggle when you ask them the right questions. As they explore, they learn that every question unlocks new mysteries and discoveries.
This story celebrates something WONDERFUL. It shows children that curiosity itself is magical, that asking questions is how we unlock understanding, and that wonder and wisdom go hand in hand. When your child experiences this story, they see that their natural curiosity is not just okay, it is the very pathway to wisdom.
After you share this story together, you can create your own question treasure hunt at home. Hide little notes around the house with interesting questions on them. When your child finds one and asks it aloud, celebrate! Maybe you explore the answer together, or maybe you just wonder about it together. This shows them that asking questions is how we all learn about life is deeper meanings.
Here is what I want you to remember, my wonderful friend. Your child is not lacking wisdom. They are building it, brick by brick, question by question, experience by experience. The foundation they are laying now, through curiosity and wonder, will support the deep thinking and philosophical understanding that comes later.
Every time they ask why, every time they wonder, every time they explore, they are developing the very skills that will one day let them ponder life is biggest questions. You are not watching a child who lacks wisdom. You are watching wisdom being born.
So keep nurturing that curiosity. Keep answering questions with warmth. Keep reading stories that make abstract ideas concrete and magical. And most of all, trust that your child is developing beautifully, right on schedule, in exactly the way their wonderful brain is designed to grow.
The Magic Book and I are always here for you, cheering you on every step of this amazing journey. Until our next adventure together, with love and starlight, Inara.
